This is one of those CDs that to which I find myself continually drawn and its rare that a day goes by that I don't listen to at least one or two songs from it. Especially when one considers Buckley's eventual fate, the songs on this album have a certain fatalism on them. As a friend of mine put it, "It has a real drowning quality to it." I don't know if I'd go that far but the music is truly haunting as is Buckley's voice, its amazing range thankfully preserved here. Among the songs themselves, my personal favorites are the three that start off the second disk -- Nightmare by the Sea, New Year's Prayer, and especially Haven't You Heard. After the mournfully fatalistic feel of that first two songs, Haven't You Heard serves as a powerful remainder that Buckley was more than an obscure, moody folkie. Haven't You Heard, to me, stands as proof that Jeff Buckley was -- for lack of a less stereotypical term -- a true rock star. Unfortunately, that was a destiny he wouldn't get to witness for himself.


"I feel so collectable!"   November 30, 2005
Samantha Kelley (USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk) is the first posthumous release of the late great Jeff Buckley. The songs on these two disks were taken from what Buckley had been working on during the time of his accidental drowning. Most of the tracks were taped onto old Michael Bolton tapes in Buckley's in-home studio. He used electronics and his own musical talents to record; there was no one else there to aid him. The cover of the CD is really effective; it is a photograph of Jeff Buckley reflected through a mirror. Instead of this collection being Jeff's own, it is his work tweaked by friends and family in an attempt to make the album as close to what Buckley would have wanted.

Disk One is probably the easiest to begin with if you want to like this CD. The songs are more polished; a few of the songs are included in lesser form on the second CD. However, this is the half that most people can identify with. Fans of Grace might surprised at the change in Buckley's style, but Buckley is Buckley. He's absolutely amazing.
The Sky is a Landfill is obviously one of those songs Buckley wrote first as a poem, then a song. The lyrics are really beautiful and the message is strong. It could be used for a political movement; it is really good. The music that accompanies the lyrics is not as outstanding, so one might look over the song right off, but take another listen. I promise, with anything Jeff Buckley related, taking a second look is always rewarding.
Everybody Here Wants You is a very feminine nightclub type of a song. One can just see the smoke and the dismal men at the bar staring at an attractive girl. It's really a beautiful little song, but it is certainly one of Buckley's most feminine on this set.
Opened Once is a sad lament with some really gorgeous lyrics. It is short and quiet, a personal song.
Nightmares By the Sea is an excellent catchy song with better than average lyrics. It seems to be a warning to young lovers and the damnation they face. It's dreamy and mournful but happy and beautiful at the same time.
Yard of Blonde Girls was not written by Buckley. It is a slow, louder type of a song.
Witches' Rave is a truly fun song, one you'll find yourself singing along to and bouncing to in the car.
New Year's Prayer is an acid-trippy psychedelic song with a persistent beat and wavy echoing vocals.
Morning Theft is an excellent example of the uncharacteristic style of Buckley. He is able to change a song's mood right in the middle of a song making it progressively more gorgeous as it goes.
Vancouver is an overlooked gem. It began as a long instrumental song, but with lyrics and Buckley's vocals became a million times more powerful.
You & I is a haunting, somewhat disturbing song. There is an ominous hollow sound in the background as Buckley sings these strong lyrics. The result is raw but very emotional.

Disk Two is much more raw than the first. This disk captures more of the energy that Buckley had live. Here is his with mistakes and all, just him and a guitar sometimes, or sometimes with a few other gadgets thrown in.
Nightmares By the Sea is a repeat from the first CD. This version seems to have more effects done on the voice and the backgrounds; they seem less natural. This version is actually my favorite of the two because it seems more ominous which lends to the lyrics.
New Year's Prayer is also included a second time. This one seems to have more echo but the lyrics are the same and there don't seem to be many differences.
Haven't You Heard is a song that is practically shouted, but it is really good. It is lacking a bit in the music department; things are left to a minimum there.
I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted To Be) is certainly a work in progress. It has a very bare guitar sound and less than perfect vocals. However, this turns out to be quite effective.
Murder Suicide Meteor Slave is hard to get used to, but it is actually enjoyable once you get used to it. The ending, however, is very, very strange.
Back In N.Y.C. was not written by Buckley, and thank goodness. I can't get myself to like this song. It is very raw and very strange.
Demon John is also a little difficult to get used to. It just seems to wander around aimlessly.
Your Flesh Is So Nice is an incredibly funny song. It is really bare musically, but the words will have you in stitches.
Jewel Box is a sweet little tune. The vocals and guitar are not perfect, but that adds to the song's appeal. When listening, one can just imagine Buckley sitting in front of a recorder with a guitar on his lap singing with a smile on his face.
Satisfied Mind was originally a country song. This is a perfect example of Buckley's interest in all sorts of music. This one has a good message, that one doesn't have to be rich to be happy. It's a simple, sweet song, and a great way to end the set.

Overall, Buckley fans will love this CD and new converts might warm up to him, but must be wary right at first and give Jeff his proper chance.


Child of Grace   July 14, 2002
Adam Noble (Canada)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This two-CD set represents, with the exception of one song, the work that would've become Jeff Buckley's follow-up to his magnificent debut album "Grace". It never quite reaches the dizzying romantic riff-filled goth/folk/R&B-inflected highs of that album, but it has its own beauty that cannot be overlooked.

The first disc comprises Jeff and his band's sessions with legendary Television guitarist Tom Verlaine. As detailed in David Browne's fine memoir "Dream Brother", Jeff had come to identify with Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's balancing act between artistic integrity and commercial success. Like Cobain, Jeff had come to resent the gloss liberally applied to his last album courtesy one Mr. Andy Wallace (although it suited Buckley's style far better than Cobain's), and decided he wanted a more "indie" feel to his follow-up. The Verlaine sessions did not culminate in a finished product, but rather finds Jeff feeling out his creative potential and directions.

"The Sky is a Landfill" is an explosive anti-media anthem, and "Witches' Rave" is a sweet piece of Smiths-inspired goth pop. "Everybody Here Wants You" is an outgrowth of the blues leanings present on 'Grace', complete with a fine, sensual lyric ("Coffee smell and lilac skin/You're a flame in me"). The cover of "Very Sexy" entitled "Yard of Blonde Girls" finds Buckley exploring grunge, and the off-kilter "Vancouver", a tale of infidelity set in London (leaving the title fairly inexplicable), is a likewise ennervating piece of rawk. The sparse ballads "Opened Once", "New Year's Prayer" and "Morning Theft" are the closest in spirit to 'Grace', but only hint at the greatness acheived there.

The real revelation from these sessions is the Nirvana-esque ballad/rocker crossbreed of "Nightmares by the Sea". Unfortunately, Andy Wallace's remix of the first disc effectively neuters this track, but the original Verlaine mix is presented on disc two and is a messy, epic song filled with powerful, unforgettable imagery and undeniable heartbreak --- in short, precisely the kind of song that drew critical attention to Buckley in the first place. With powerful cymbal-thrashing like waves hurtling themselves against rocks, the song draws to a close.

"Haven't You Heard", neither a demo or a Verlaine session castaway, is another stab at a political song, and while it feels like confused vitriol and Buckley's falsetto actually becomes quite grating halfway through it, the song is powerful and well-executed enough not to dismiss.

Buckley's work was never user-friendly by any means, and always required multiple listens to grasp its nuances. The lo-fi demos on the second disc don't make his work any more accessible, but they are ultimately at least as rewarding a look into his mind as the first disc, as it showed him finally closing in on his vision. 'I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted to Be)" may be awkwardly titled, but is a fantastic song, and stands with the best in Buckley's career. The Genesis cover, "Back in NYC" is surprisingly very good, a stripped-down take on a track from the prog-rock group's Gotham concept album 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'. The lovely "Jewel Box" stands on its own as well, but the rest of the demos simply don't offer enough of the finished product to merit repeated listens.

Finally, "Satisfied Mind", the song played at Jeff's funeral, isn't as transcendent as many of the covers the man recorded, so it simply has to settle for being very good instead of excellent. Not bad.

It's hard to criticize "Sketches", being that it was never intended as a final artistic statement, bur rather a musician's struggle to discover a new voice for himself. While he never was able to commit that voice to tape with a band present, he did leave some wonderful scraps for us Buckley fans to obsess over. And we should be grateful for it. And him.


passionate, inspiring, beautiful...no words can express   August 2, 1999
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

A friend of mine introduced the music of jeff buckley fairly recently to me. I can not believe i've lived so long without this music in my life. A bit dramatic? well, as soon as you listen to this you will understand. This album has some of the most perfect songs i have ever listened to. "Everybody here wants you" is a song so alluring and passionate that my soul stirs every time i listen to it. "New Year's Prayer" "nightmares by the sea" and "Vancouver" are brilliant and haunting. "Morning Theft" is a poetic simple song that exudes such beauty i want to weep. "We could be so happy baby" is raw, vulnerable, and stripped of pretense...music Jeff probably wasn't on planning on anyone to listen to. This album isn't entirely melancholy and sad. I laughed when I heard the far from subtle "your flesh is so nice." It wasn't a song i expected to hear but i love it as well. For the new buckley listener i recommend starting with "Grace." Then move on to this and you will forever be an admirer of jeff buckley. Although it's an immense loss that we no longer have him to share his beautiful music with us, i thank god he did leave us with these few but precious songs.